GENEVA (AP) — Gianni Infantino truly looked the “King of Soccer,” as U.S. President Donald Trump likes to call him, as the two allies sat together watching the World Cup final less than two weeks ago.Sure, there were some boos inside MetLife Stadium near New York, when the two men walked across the turf to present the trophy and medals to Spain and Argentina players on July 19.Still, that 104th and final game capped a biggest-ever tournament seen as a vindication for the FIFA president — a consensus success on the field and a financial bonanza for global soccer. Infantino could look ahead to his likely re-election coronation next March.The sunny scene must now feel an age ago since Infantino caused a seismic rift in global soccer.The intensifying fallout might shockingly cost the 56-year-old Infantino a job in which he seemed untouchable until this week.
Infantino’s misstep was inviting private investors, led by Joshua Kushner, to buy a stake in future profits from World Cups and all FIFA events.The Swiss-Italian official had largely shrugged aside the World Cup’s politically motivated incidents that raised criticism and concern in the soccer world: The Iran team and a World Cup referee from Somalia could not stay in the United States, fans were denied entry visas, and soccer’s rule of law was ignored after Trump intervened to let U.S. player Folarin Balogun avoid a mandatory one-game ban.Infantino left New York City last week with letters pledging election support from about 200 of FIFA’s 211 national member federations who vote for their leader every four years.But the most powerful man in soccer, known for always thinking ahead, had a new, huge and secret project in mind.
